Amir Khattab, Chechen Mujahideen Commander

[NaSra]

Asalamalaikum


<b>Khattab, the man who died for the cause of Chechnya</b>





<b>Khattab's Last Interview </b>


Not too long before his death, Chechen Commander Amir Khattab gave an interview to one of the Arabic Internet editions Waislamah. We would like to offer you the translation of this interview, where the Chechen Commander expresses his point of view on the ongoing events in Ichkeria and in the Arab countries.


<b>Question: What is the military situation in Chechnya like nowadays?</b>


Khattab: Russian leadership and army have despaired of victory in Chechnya. They also despaired of killing the Mujahideen and their Commanders. Everybody saw monkey Putin on TV, when he summoned Christian priests and demanded the Church to help wounded Russian soldiers, whose number reaches thousands and thousands. Praise Allah, Who helps us in our deed...


<b>Question: There was a report that you were seriously wounded, and that Russian soldiers are besieging the Mujahideen. </b>


K: Yes, I was wounded. However, with the help of Allah we will be killing our enemies and we ourselves will die, but there is no way it will change the nature of our fight. We are really besieged every day, but we also besiege Russian forces every day. Russian leadership is a weak leadership, which makes a show of its any smallest victory and makes the whole world laugh at that, claiming that it is successfully fighting «terrorism». Concerning the Commanders being wounded. When any Chechen Commander is wounded, it means that he fights shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers, unlike Russian commanders or other traders of blood in other places. The enemies of Allah, generals, commanders and soldiers are working for their government: if their commander gets killed or the government resigns, it has a negative affect on their morale. Unlike them, the Mujahideen are fighting in the name of Allah, and Allah is eternal. Death of one of the Commanders only increases the inspiration and the morale of the Mujahideen.


<b>Question: Why, in your opinion, Russian Army has not won this war yet?</b>


K: First, praise be to Allah! Second, that's because of the persistence and courage of Chechen Mujahideen and Amirs in their intention to continue this war against the enemy. From day one the Chechen people have been ready to fight till the end to get rid of the power of Russian regime, which contradicts Islam. The army, that fights with no faith or purpose, will never win. Russian leadership was trying to inspire their generals, officers and soldiers with the claims that this war is a war against «terrorism» and against «bandits» by distributing fake video footage. Those video films were demonstrating the horrors that are ascribed to the Chechen Mujahideen: cutting off Russian hostages' fingers and ears, robberies, murders. There were also films shown about the explosions that shook Russian cities. However, not too long ago there was a documentary film shown that proves that Russian secret services were involved in those explosions and that they were forewarned about them. Russian officers and mercenaries who got paid big money are behind the explosions.


<b>Question: What is the morale and fighting spirit among the Mujahideen and their Commanders?</b>


K: Praise Allah, our spirit is high, higher than ever. Every day we observe funerals of Russian officers and generals in Moscow. Russian troops suffer humiliations every day. We know why we fight and for what purpose!


<b>Question: How can the American military forces, that recently arrived in Georgia, affect the situation?</b>


K: I don't think that their arrival down there will affect the situation in Chechnya. In Georgia there are mainly wounded Chechen soldiers and several Islamic humanitarian organizations that deal with them. Glory be to Allah, we don't need anything from Georgia. All we need is in the hands of our enemies, including Putin himself, and during combats we take what we need. Georgian leadership agreed to accept Chechen refugees and they are living up in the mountains, where Chechens have been living for centuries. None of them lives in Tbilisi. I think that Russia wants to cause friction between Georgian government and Chechens and thereby deprive Chechens of their external connections. I believe that if Georgian government intends to make any decision regarding Chechen refugees, it should announce such decision in advance.


As far as the Americans go, I don't think they are stupid enough to open up another front for themselves against the Chechen people. America has just started the war against Mujahideen in Afghanistan, and the planes just started to bring the dead bodies back home. America also has problems in Philippines, it also wants to start a war against Iraq. American economy is on the verge of a crisis, that's why the US armed forces landed in Georgia and Central Asia, in order to draw closer to Russian borders and to the oil fields of Caucasus and Central Asia.


<b>Question: How and when do you think this war will be over?</b>


K: From our point of view, we have already won. If we were not sure of that, we would not have kept fighting against Russian army, armed to its teeth. We will not retreat from our demands or our principles. We are standing for complete independence from Russia. The end of this war is important for the Russians, because this war costs them dearly. But for us this war means carrying out our duty before Allah and any end of this battle would be suitable for us: victory or paradise. With the help of Allah the victory is near, I don't think that Russian troops will remain in Chechnya.


<b>Question: How did the events of September 11 affect the help that you are receiving?</b>


K: Some of those who were helping us changed their minds and started to doubt, but praise Allah, there are also many people left who are faithful to us. Muslims are helping us.


<b>Question: What is your opinion on the situation in Palestine? What can you say to the Palestinian Mujahideen?</b>


K: The events that accompany the Intifada in Palestine have proven to the entire world that in reality there are no such things as human rights, UN, or international court. Today Muslims need their own Muslim UN to solve the problems connected with Islam or Shari'ah. Islamic countries no longer have the right to maintain relations with the phoney Christian heretical organizations that conduct the policy of double standards. That Intifada has also proven that the Arab rulers are slaves of the West, slaves of money and slaves of vainglory. The time has come to get free from these slaves, who are not capable of making a single decision in the name of the victory of Islam. We all see Jewish terrorism against defenseless Muslims on TV every day, as well as that support provided by America. Arab rulers are not capable of making a single worthy decision that would put an end to the outrages committed by descendants of swine and monkeys, they are not even able to provide Palestinian Shaheed with ammunition or weapons. Today there is no greater disaster for Muslims than the power of these slaves. Arab rulers must be thrown off the necks of the Muslims, and the Jews of Israel will reap humiliation up until the Judgment Day, as Great Allah promised.

[NaSra]

Commander Khatab, His days on this earth, May ALLAH accept him as a Martyr

[NaSra]

Mansour Al-Suwailem, elder brother of the leading Chechen fighter Khattab, who was recently assassinated by Russians, said it was an old Chechen woman who inspired Khattab to fight for the Chechens.


Khattab’s real name is Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem. In his early youth he wanted to study in the United States. Mansour shed light on several aspects of Khattab’s personal life in an interview with Arab News. The interview was conducted at his father’s house in Alkhobar in the Eastern Province.


Mansour said Khattab used to call their mother in Saudi Arabia before he carried out attacks against the Russians. Last week, Russian state television broadcast pictures of Khattab’s body and said he had been killed on March 19-20 after a yearlong operation by Russian special forces. The station said he did not die in a battle but did not elaborate on how he died. Khattab is the most important Mujahedeen commander killed since Russian troops launched their latest campaign against the Chechen freedom struggle two and a half years ago.


Mansour said there were two differing reports of how his brother had been killed. According to one report, it was five minutes after he opened a poisoned letter given him by a trusted aide two weeks ago. The second report says that he was given poisoned food in a private party about a month ago. The last time Samir called his family was three months ago. He had visited Saudi Arabia only twice since he decided to go to Afghanistan in 1987.


"He called our parents whenever he had a chance and specially called our mother before carrying out any operation," he added. Samir was an ambitious child who had dreams of owning a castle with "a garage big enough for five cars". He also wanted all family members to live together and was concerned about the welfare of all family members and used to weep for the slightest reasons. He was loved by all. No one remembered him seeing angry. He loved jokes and used to play with children.


Samir, who was born in an Arar, a northern border city in Saudi Arabia in 1969, was a brilliant student who scored 94 percent in the secondary school examination.


Unlike other family members, he used to evince more interest in Islamic periodicals and tapes. He was very much impressed by the history of the second Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and therefore accepted the title Khattab. He joined a training course conducted by the Aramco. He planned to continue his studies in the United States. He used to be very kind and helpful to others.


Once he found a stranger, a Sudanese expatriate, asking for a lift on the airport road. The man said his car broke down and he was afraid he may not reach the airport in time. The man was, apparently, worried about leaving his car on the road. After taking him to the airport, Samir went back to the car and towed it to a workshop for repairs. When the Sudanese man came back he was surprised to find his car repaired. Samir refused to accept the cost of the repair. There are several other instances of selfless service to others.


Mansour could not give any specific reason for Samir’s sudden change of mind about his plan to go to the United States for studies. He joined the Afghan Arabs fighting the Russians at the age of 17 in 1987. The young boy refused to come home even after his father promised to buy him a house. He did not visit the Kingdom in the past 14 years except two times, the last one in 1993. He was gravely wounded four times and the most serious of them was when he set foot on a land mine. He was the lone survivor when his truck exploded, it was reported.


Mansour explained how Samir got the idea of going to Chechnya after watching a news broadcast on the Afghan TV. The news broadcast showed several Chechen groups wearing headbands with "No God But Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger" written on them. They shouted Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Samir felt curious about the jihad going on in Chechnya and decided to go there. But he did not know how to go there and the map he bought did not show Chechnya. So he set out to Baku in Azerbaijan which is close to Chechnya.


While he was making inquiries about how to reach Chechnya, he received a letter from Fathi Abu Sayyaf, a Chechen of Jordanian origin describing about the land of which he wrote, "a man who enters it is lost and one who gets out of it is like a reborn."


Somehow or other, he managed to reach Chechnya where he first went about as a TV reporter meeting with people and inquiring about the common man’s attitude toward the jihad. His proficiency in Arabic, Russian, English, and Pashtu helped him mix with all kinds of people. In his travels he also met with Shamil Basayev.


It was about this time that he met an old Chechen woman who stressed the need for jihad against the Russians. She told him confidently: "We want them to quit our land so that we can return to Islam." When he asked her how she would help in a jihad against Russians, her reply was that she possessed only a jacket and she would donate it for the cause of Allah.


Suwailam said his brother had sobbed until "his beard became wet with his tears" when he spoke to the woman, and that the meeting had been a turning point in his life.


Khattab’s actions were based on certain strong principles drawn from the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet. They can be summed up as follows: The objective of jihad should be the establishment of the religion of Allah, there is no negotiation with the enemy, the fight should not end until the enemy’s threat was totally removed, jihad does not depend on the life of a leader, leadership does not mean comfortable position, unity is the most important requisite for fighting against Russia. He also stressed the need for treating civilians gently and not doing any harm to them.


Samir had been seeking martyrdom for the past 14 years, Mansour said. He failed to achieve it in Afghanistan, then he sought it in Tajikistan. He was again disappointed, so went to Chechnya where finally Allah granted it to him, the brother said with pride.


Samir was married to a Dagistani woman and has three children.

[NaSra]

[AbuMubarak]

i recently came across a site that had two downloadable videos of the life of khattab


does anyone know where such downloads could be found?

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Check this AbuM:


http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/video/


I found 2 videos on his Janazah see if this is what u were looking for


May Allah him as Shaheed ameen

[AbuMubarak]

جزاك الله خير يا مسلمة


this was good, but the one i was looking for was about 450 mb two part series on the life of khattab, it was in arabic with english subtitles

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


wa iyakum O i see this must be very interesting to see, Insh a Allah let us try to look for it. I do love Amir Khattab much for the sake of Allah and certainly like to see such a reference

[Thomas]

My computer's too slow to watch it for more than 3 seconds at a time.


I really hate americans. [img]style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif[/img]

[radiyah]

Bismillah

I really hate americans.

Why??? are u not an american, and we are not to hate any1 brother, right? As muslims we should not have hate in our hearts for any1, if they fight us we should fight back that is our right but not hate. Jazzaky Allah khayr intuition for reminding us of Khattab, he was a great leader, we need men like him, but such men will not come if we the muslims do not change ourselves and return to Allah. well am I off topic here sister Muslimah [img]style_emoticons/default/huh.gif[/img][img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]


Wasalam